What did you order or the post deliver? (Japanese N Gauge)

[RS18U]

22 hours ago, chadbag said:

Thank goodness the rules are that the baggage limits of the main flight apply to the connecting flights in N America.   Unfortunately our last flight was purchased as an Amerian Airlines flight even though it flew on JAL so we just had the 1 bag limit.  (US Carriers used to have 2 bags as well to Japan despite charging for every other place in the world but recently they've mostly gone to 1 bag).

 

In our case we booked through ANA, checked in with Air Canada (no issues with bags) and cleared outbound security at the small Nanaimo airport.  Picked up the bags in Haneda so no worries about that while waiting in Vancouver for the ANA flight.  Simple and easy.  Only issue was that AC put my wife and I in different zones for boarding in Vancouver even though we were sitting next to each other, she got 3 while I got 5.  Go figure.

[Kingmeow]

8 hours ago, RS18U said:

Only issue was that AC put my wife and I in different zones for boarding in Vancouver even though we were sitting next to each other, she got 3 while I got 5.  Go figure.

 

Instead of boarding back to front or front to back (which seems illogical), some airlines like United, board window rows, middle rows and then aisle rows.  Supposedly most efficient of the possible boarding patterns (probably some PhD's dissertation - 🤣).

 

That explains why the both of you are different boarding groups even though you are sitting next to each other.

Edited May 15 by Kingmeow

[cteno4]

I just saw this article recently. Lots of folks study this in modeling as well as real world tests! 
 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/there-are-quicker-ways-to-board-a-plane-so-why-dont-airlines-use-them/

 

jeff

[N-Osoi]

Taking ANA to Japan recently was the first time I've ever experienced that 'window seat first' boarding order. Seemed to work really well!

[RS18U]

Interesting.  I had never heard, or experienced, this before.  We actually got the same thing coming back but ANA allowed us to board at the same time, on her zone, when I asked.

 

FYI we were in Premium Economy in the outside seats, so only 2 in our part (3 in the centre seats).

 

Looking like we will be back in Japan next May as I will be going to Vietnam for work so will be doing an extended stop-over.

[Kingmeow]

Boarding by "columns" vs. rows may board a plane faster but the poor folks sitting in the aisle rows tend to have no overhead space for their luggage once it's their turn to board.  Whereas in the row boarding method, the chances of no overhead space when you get to your row is less.  Though there are those who sit in the back rows and throw their bags in the front row overheads of the plane.  This causes all kinds of discombobulations.   😠 

[cteno4]

Use to love the old southwest loading on the commuter flights from sf to La. You got a numbered card randomly when you checked in and just lined up by number and chose what ever seat you wanted. Single commuters primarily day trippers so few large carryons. The plane was loaded amazingly fast and easy. Helped most of the crowd did the flight once or twice a week. Liked the random aspect of it and no privileges (they did do a pre board for babies and folks that needed time/help). For a tall guy like me I would forgo the front of the plane to get off faster to try and snag an exit row.

 

jeff

[N-Osoi]

Or for anyone who has flown RyanAir, no seat allocation at all. First on the plane gets their choice 😄 

[RS18U]

On 5/13/2024 at 9:20 PM, RS18U said:

my wife says Canada Post delivered a large box "from a hobby store in Osaka, Japan".  Of course I am on the road 4 hrs one-way away so my unboxing will need to wait till I'm home.  Pretty psyched to see my first order though!

Well I'm back and have opened the box.  Was mailed May 5 and arrived May 13, with a 28 minute stop at Canadian Customs in Vancouver.  The Japan Post tracking was excellent, even here in Canada.

 

No duty, but was charged for GST and PST plus a small handling fee from Canada Post.  The parcel arrived just fine, was well packed and included a thank you eraser.  Plus an interesting note on the outside of the box.

 

Inside was a Kato 10-023 starter set, a Tomix 120-300 in Hiroshima Carp paint, and a bunch of track pieces.  With all the the track there is enough for 4 T-Track straight modules and 4 corner ones.

Nice note

 

KIHA 58.  No actual box for it, just this removable tray.  Will need to work on a box

 

The other bits

 

What it looked like opened up.  The bits are under the paper to the right

 

Edited May 21 by RS18U

[katoftw]

Those starter set don't come with the boxes. But if you buy the corresponding add on set with a bookcase, all the cars will be safe in the bookcase.

 

//edit - cancel that. Doesn't seem to have a add on set. First time I've seen that from these starters.

Edited May 21 by katoftw

[N-Osoi]

18 minutes ago, RS18U said:

Tomix 120-300 in Hiroshima Carp paint,

Nice I picked up the same one in Hiroshima, as well as a Carp tram 😄 

[RS18U]

55 minutes ago, katoftw said:

Those starter set don't come with the boxes. But if you buy the corresponding add on set with a bookcase, all the cars will be safe in the bookcase.

 

//edit - cancel that. Doesn't seem to have a add on set. First time I've seen that from these starters.

I thought maybe this would work: https://www.plazajapan.com/4949727680620/

Seems to have room for 3 more?

 

Kato 10-1600 Series KIHA58 (Panoramic Window) 4 Cars Set

[RS18U]

47 minutes ago, N-Osoi said:

Nice I picked up the same one in Hiroshima, as well as a Carp tram 😄 

With my wife's family all coming from Hiroshima (and lots still there), we get a lot of Carp items, and when I saw this I thought it would be perfect.

[katoftw]

1 hour ago, RS18U said:

I thought maybe this would work: https://www.plazajapan.com/4949727680620/

Seems to have room for 3 more?

 

Kato 10-1600 Series KIHA58 (Panoramic Window) 4 Cars Set

It would work.

[Kamome]

Not bought anything substantial  N scale for some time and also not in my general area of interest but couldn’t miss out on a second run of the Kato 287 Panda Kuroshio. 

 

Nice to see they’ve kept the artwork sleeve and case from the original release as well the included info on Adventure World in Wakayama.

 

 

Update

The modelling is very good on this version. The printed animal photos on the sides of the coaches are colour rich and heavily printed. The slight downside is there is a marginal raise in the finish where the paint/ink for the photos has been applied. This is easily forgivable due to the clarity of the printing on such a small surface though. It would be interesting to see how it compares alongside the Tomix offering. Sometimes these painted trains can have a more obvious dot matrix-type pattern to the extra livery additions. I can say with confidence that Kato have done an excellent job here. 

Edited May 22 by Kamome

[N-Osoi]

My Plaza Japan order arrived, once it was shipped took less than 2 weeks via registered Japan Post to get to me in Australia.

 

I'll never get used to how small N gauge stuff looks when you first get it!

 

I also ordered some of that fine tape to see what it was like. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but again, absolutely tiny 😝

 

 

[bc6]

Wow I dont remember the last time Ive posted here lol, This is my latest haul from RG-Rokko.

 

I completed two GreenMax JR103 cars from the RG-Rokko haul to make a set.

 

1-Kato 16 car N700s set

2- GreenMax JR103 Kits

6 Yokohoma 31ft containers.

1- Kato Japanese Railway Workers 

4-TOMIX TN couplers

1- TOMIX Knuckle Couplers

1- Paper Enginehouse

2- Kato light decoders

1- Kato Motor decoder

2- TOMIX KUMU 80000

 

 

Edited May 24 by bc6

[Giugiaro]

This is already a week old, but I was rather busy and today I have some time to rest and settle down with my laptop, before another model exhibition.

 

The big RG-Rokko delivery of May 2024 has finally arrived, with some club and friend orders piggybacking along!

And the surprise this time was... KATO posters of the trains I ordered!!! 🥰

 

3x KATO 20-000-L Straight rail S248

KATO 20-005-L PC Straight rail S248

2x KATO 22-092 Electric noise canceller

KATO 10-1780 JR 381 Yakumo Revival Livery

KATO 10-1655 + 10-1656 RhB Bernina Express

KATO 10-1273 RhB ABe8/12 Alegra

KATO 20-873 V-14 Double Track Loop

KATO 14-806-4 Yellow Classic Tram

TOMIX 2771 JNR So80 Railway Crane

GreenMax 31703 JR Kiha 110-200

Popondetta 6054 Tokyu 5200
 

 

 

 

 

[tripel7]

A bunch of 1:150 Toyota Hiaces, and Kato V3. Technically I didn't buy it nor do I own it yet, but my friend currently on vacation in Japan did buy them for me. 

[beakaboy]

new additions to my collection getting a run recently. The kato 500 series came from fellow forum member Alastair and runs very smoothly for an older model. Trains seem to run noisy on our ballasted track, even though we have cork underneath. 

 

[RS18U]

On 5/20/2024 at 7:38 PM, RS18U said:

Kato 10-023 starter set, a Tomix 120-300 in Hiroshima Carp paint

Not sure where to post this, so I thought here.  First impressions from someone new to Japanese N.

 

I got a chance to briefly run both and have these impressions:

 

Tomix 120-300: very nicely decorated, and has functional very tiny head/tail lights.  A fair bit nosier than the Kato, and the interior light is a blinding bright white so will need to figure out how to tone it down, or just remove it.  Easy to pop the shell off but looks hard if not impossible to add a driver.  Due to the chassis coming up almost to the bottom of the windows any passengers added will be cut off pretty much at breast height but as the Geibi Line does not see a lot of use there won't be many to add.

 

Kato KIAH 58 from the starter set: Also very nicely decorated and with functional head/tail lights.  Much quieter than the 120-300, and has ability to add a driver and almost full passengers.  No standard interior lights.  Fiddly extra details to add which I attempted but have put off for a bit.

 

Overall very impressed with both trains especially when factoring in the prices.  Looking forward to acquiring some more (1 pre-order already made).

[cteno4]

@beakaboy I’ve always wondered if some trains run loud on hard ballasted track due to just plain reflection of the motor noise off the hard ballast surface. Many folks thought the ballast noise is vibration causing vibration of the hard roadbed. Does the 500 run loud on just track on the table compared to other trains that don’t run loud on the ballasted track?

 

it’s one of those eternal mysteries everyone seems to have theories for, but I’ve never seen much in the way of actual experimentation on outside one chap that did a half dozen 6’ sections of track on different subroadbeds and ballast glue. It was like 15 or 20 years back and I’ve not dug it up, was probably on one of the old yahoo groups so maybe gone now. From what i remember the only big difference he found was in the glue, with hard PVA being loud and softer acrylic medium being quieter and the subroadbeds didn’t matter much, but my memory is foggy on it.

 

jeff

[beakaboy]

2 hours ago, cteno4 said:

@beakaboy I’ve always wondered if some trains run loud on hard ballasted track due to just plain reflection of the motor noise off the hard ballast surface. Many folks thought the ballast noise is vibration causing vibration of the hard roadbed. Does the 500 run loud on just track on the table compared to other trains that don’t run loud on the ballasted track?

 

 

 

jeff

We notice all trains run louder on the ballasted track compared to unballasted. we have the large bridge scene on the layout without ballast and often you have to look while running trains thinking they have stopped or derailed as the noise disappears briefly as they cross. we use diluted pva glue for ballast

[cteno4]

Yeah from my recollections it was the PVA that caused the most noise.

 

jeff

[N-Osoi]

8 hours ago, RS18U said:

the interior light is a blinding bright white

I found the same with mine 😎 - post about it if you work out a fix!